Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice was originally titled First Impressions because the characters in her novel often make judgments based on their first impressions of people . These first impressions would then shape the characters' reputations. Reputation was important to members of English society in the 19th century. A person's reputation can be ruined by a single wrong word – or a bad first impression. Each person's manners and character were what created their reputation. Jane Austen focuses on reputation in Pride and Prejudice. Its two main male characters, Fitzwilliam Darcy and Charles Bingley, influence their reputation with their very different personalities. Although Darcy and Bingley are both wealthy and generally kind people, Darcy's character is more reserved than Bingley's and their opinions and families are different. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Darcy and Bingley have similar backgrounds and physical characteristics. Both men come from wealthy families. Darcy is much wealthier than Bingley, owning a large estate called Pemberley while Bingley rents a smaller estate called Netherfield. More information is given about Darcy's family, such as his long-standing connections to George Wickham's family as well as his connections to Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Bingley's only known family consists of his two sisters. Physically, both men are handsome, Darcy more than Bingley. Austen emphasizes Darcy's physical attributes early on, saying that he had "a tall, handsome person, fine features, [and] a noble countenance" (Austen 7); however, with Bingley, she focuses on his ease in crowds: “He had a handsome face and easy, unaffected manner” (Austen 7). It is interesting to note that Austen decides to describe Darcy physically before describing her character, whereas she introduces that of Bingley during his first introduction to the Bennets. This is probably because Darcy's character is explored throughout the rest of the novel, where Bingley's can easily be described briefly. Aesthetically, Darcy and Bingley are very similar. Although they may be physically and materially similar, Bingley and Darcy's first impressions in the novel are different. Bingley immediately proves affable, outgoing and pleasant, and pleases everyone at the Meryton ball (Austen 7); however, his friend Darcy, although "much handsomer", seemed to have a "more forbidding and unpleasant face" (Austen 8). Darcy's character is much more reserved than Bingley's. Bingley does not hide any aspect of his character since his character does not go as deep as Darcy's. The still waters of Darcy are deep while Bingley is a shallow bubbling stream; but how can someone so nice be friends with someone so unlikeable? Austen describes him thus: “Bingley was liked by Darcy for the ease, openness, and ductility of his character, although no disposition could offer a greater contrast with his own” (Austen 12). Darcy enjoys Bingley's company because they are very different from each other, and because of Bingley's "ductility of character", he will do what Darcy wants him to do ("Mr. Bingley"). Darcy and Bingley's respective characters make them totally compatible as their respective love interests. Jane Bennet said of Bingley: “He is exactly what a young man should be... sensible, good-humoured, lively; and I've never seen such manners.